The highs and lows of Christian Purslow's spell at Aston Villa

From securing a record fee for Jack Grealish to the failed gambles on Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho: The highs and lows of Christian Purslow’s five-year spell at Aston Villa

  • The Villa chief executive stepped down on Monday after five years in charge
  • Emery is said to be keen to see him replaced by Sevilla transfer guru Monchi 
  • Purslow was strong at communicating with the fans but took a risk with Gerrard 

In five years at Aston Villa, Christian Purslow re-established the club as a consistent Premier League presence and was a solid, savvy frontman for a club in transition. His good work far outweighs the mistakes.

Yet when he reflects on his time in charge, Purslow will surely regret one decision: the appointment of Steven Gerrard in November 2021.

Purslow had witnessed Gerrard at close quarters when he captained Liverpool and was convinced he was the man to restore Villa’s glory days. The experiment lasted less than a year, and when co-owner Nassef Sawiris took personal charge of recruiting Unai Emery to replace Gerrard, the writing was on the wall for Purslow.

After he stepped down as chief executive on Monday, Mail Sport reflects on Purslow’s most impressive moments – and those he will regret.

Christian Purslow stepped down from his role as chief executive at Aston Villa on Monday

One of the standout appointments of his tenure was that of former manager Dean Smith 

BEST MOMENTS 

Appointment of Dean Smith 

When Steve Bruce was dismissed in October 2018 with Villa drifting in the Championship, Purslow moved decisively for Smith, then in charge of Brentford. As a local boy and Villa fan, Smith united the fanbase and drove Villa to promotion via the play-offs in his first season. Though Smith was sacked barely two years after Villa went up, he returned them to the top flight and kept them there. For that, Purslow’s judgement should be celebrated. 

£100million transfer fee for Jack Grealish 

Villa’s finest homegrown player of recent times became Britain’s most expensive player when he left for Manchester City in summer 2021. When Villa gave Grealish a new five-year deal in summer 2020, he was still an unfulfilled talent but Purslow gambled that there would be big bids a year later. The seven-figure sum was just reward for a clever piece of negotiating. 

Jack Grealish’s 2021 sale to Manchester City has paid off for both Villa and the treble winners

Villa Park redevelopment 

If all goes to plan, Villa’s home will have a capacity of 60,000 towards the end of the decade. The venue will host matches at Euro 2028 if the UK and Ireland’s joint bid is successful. There are also plans to improve the area around the stadium, which will generate further revenue for the club. It took a bold, foreward-thinking chief executive to give these plans impetus and that is exactly what Purslow provided. 

Communications with supporters 

Purslow would conduct occasional interviews via club channels to explain strategy – and the evidence is that supporters appreciated it. When Grealish was sold, Purslow gave the reasons and outlined why they had moved for Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings to replace him. The moves might not have worked out but at least Purslow was up front about them. His peers could learn much from that stance. 

Talking fans through the purchase of Emiliano Buendia (left) was a route not often taken by executives at Premier League clubs

WORST MOMENTS 

Appointment of Steven Gerrard

On the face of it, bringing in Gerrard – who had just ended Celtic’s bid to claim 10 league titles in a row by making Rangers champions of Scotland – looked a smart move. After a poor start, though, it was clear this was a blunder, as Gerrard did not yet have the managerial experience to handle a club of Villa’s size. Given their history at Liverpool, this felt like one of those occasions where Purslow let his heart rule his head. 

Steven Gerrard may have impressed at Rangers but found life harder in the midlands

Signing of Philippe Coutinho 

Bringing in the Brazilian on loan from Barcelona in January 2022 looked a worthwhile gamble. Gerrard pushed for the move and Purslow backed him. Coutinho showed flashes of his former class during his first four months – but little to suggest Villa should sign him permanently and make him their highest-paid player. So guess what happened? Purslow must wonder why on Earth he signed off that deal. 

Philippe Coutinho has never really made good on the promise shown in his initial loan spell

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